Straight From Draco's Mouth
by Divess
Summary: A budding relationship gets stopped before it really gets started. Draco Malfoy has taken the time to explain what went wrong between him and Hermione. Fluff/Drama/Anxiety. Dramione. AU. T. One shot.


**All things Harry Potter belong to JK Rowling, the Head Source. The storyline is mine. **

**Straight From Draco's Mouth **

To understand why Hermione and I are not together you have to understand the movie business. Hermione and I were part of a group who were groomed from very early childhood to become stars. Our parents worked hard to insure we had the best training. The best coaches. The best contacts. The most exposure. They spent a ton of money. They gave up a lot so we could have what we needed to become famous.

From the first specific rules had been drilled into my head. You don't have time for fast cars. You don't have time for loose women. You only have time to train, practice and excel. Hermione was given these same set of rules. The criteria was: Keep your eye on the prize. Do not deviate. You can't afford distractions. I was faithful to my aspirations….until I fell for Hermione.

If I had to gauge when it happened, I would say it originally started around the year 2002. I was young. We were young. Initially, Hermione was fascinated with me, but at that time the only thing I had on my mind was to become a successful actor. I wasn't looking for a girlfriend, although I didn't mind having a pretty girl as a friend. So it went. Hermione and I were always together, but as friends.

So many things were happening for the both of us. So many gifts were being thrown our way. So many doors were opening. Hermione and I were in the spotlight. We were being groomed for what was to come and we had choices to make. Choices which promised returns of fame and fortune.

Fast forward a few years. By this time I had recognized Hermione as a beautiful, talented and personable woman. I had fallen in love with her and she with me. We became… involved.

The only problem with us being involved were the rules. The magic plan was to keep Hermione as The Golden Girl. The unsullied. The innocent. The other part of the plan was to make me a Bad Boy heart throb.

Hermione and I had worked hard to achieve stardom and now with our chance upon us, we agreed to do whatever was necessary. We signed contracts to this effect.

Hermione's contract called for her to remain pure, unattached and without fault. My contract called for me to do what I was told.

Hermione and I were told it wouldn't be in our best interest to be seen as a couple. The people in power thought we would appeal to a wider fan base if we were separate and single. They actually said, "_Most of the world is not ready for The Bad Boy to date The Golden Girl. _You will lose fans_. _The public will more readily identify with you Draco as a young male heart throb and Hermione as a beautiful movie star if you are single and uninvolved."

Handlers, publicists and managers all gave the same dire warning: You two can either give each other up and become rising stars or stay in your relationship and fade into obscurity. They were emphatic as they told us there were plenty of handsome wizards and beautiful witches just waiting to step into our places if we didn't toe the line.

Hermione and I constantly discussed the orders we had been set, but no matter how long or how often we talked it over there was only one answer. We couldn't give up all we had worked so hard for. We were at the pinnacle of our wants and dreams, so we had to play for the stage. If I wanted to be a star, I had to leave Hermione behind. If Hermione wanted to be a star, she would have to move forward without me.

And that's what she and I did. We moved ahead with our careers without each other.

As if fate was thumbing its nose at us, after we agreed to go our separate ways, work often caused Hermione and I to be in close proximity to each other. We often had to be on sound stages in the same building, in different buildings on the same lot and we sometimes found ourselves in the same production. It was painful to see the beautiful witch I loved and not be able to touch her.

The proverbs of the day were _Look but don't touch_. _Stay away from each other_. _Do not upset the public._

But in private we touched. Of course we touched. We did more than touch. I was her wizard. We did it all secretly and the fire between Hermione and I only grew hotter.

The people in charge of our careers (our Handlers) watched us.

Hermione and I were often subjected to lectures by our Handlers. _Don't do this. Leave Hermione alone. Leave Draco alone. It's not good for your career. People see you as polar opposites. It was written by the Head Source you two should never be together. The public wouldn't understand._

Still. Hermione and I met whenever we could and pledged our love for each other. In our minds we were bonded.

I would watch her. I would watch her every chance I got and become furious when the Handlers put her with some dolt they considered a wholesome young wizard. It was fucking unfair and it wasn't hard for them to find wizards for her. Hermione is so beautiful. She had wizards tearing down the door to be with her. When I say _be with her_ I do not mean be with her in any kind of intimacy. She was mine and hadn't ever been intimate with anyone except me. She loves me.

Being a wizard, I've had to do some Bad Boy socializing. It's true. I've had other witches on my arm. Hermione didn't like it, but she understood that it was what is called for in my contract.

Hermione's a witch. She can't do what I do. She can't be with different men every other month. She has to appear pure or she'll pick up a reputation for being cheap and easy. There are thousands of cheap and easy girls. Hermione had to stay above the crowd. I am in complete agreement with that part of Hermione's contract. I didn't want other wizards hanging all over her because she belonged to me.

What I do, I don't do to hurt Hermione or rub her face in the muck. I do it because it is required of me. I am what they call a sex symbol and it is expected of me. It is expected I have a beautiful woman on my arm. I do this under duress, but I have to do it because I have contractually agreed to maintain a certain image.

As our love grew stronger it became harder and harder for me to stay away from Hermione. We often had friends cover for us. We would meet away from the watching eyes of the world. We would talk, make love and make plans for a future we knew we could not have. Sometimes Hermione would cry in the midst of our lovemaking and all I was able to do was hold her tight.

We wanted the fame and fortune, but we also wanted to be together.

Without a word to either Hermione or myself, our Handlers talked among themselves. They had been watching me and Hermione closely tumbling to the fact we were still meeting and had fallen even more deeply in love.

When I speak of Handlers, I am speaking of those people who have been hired to guide our careers and our lives. So guide our careers they did. My Handlers took immediate measures. They added a codicil to my contract stating they could create the position of consort or girlfriend if necessary. It would be a phantom position, but it would solve their problem.

The casting call went out and my Handlers found a Muggle whom they cast as my _girlfriend_. They chose a slightly older woman who would keep me in line and keep me focused. This Muggle woman jumped at the chance to be with Draco Malfoy knowing it would be very beneficial for her. She would reap the rewards of being with a handsome, young sex symbol and become famous because of it.

This woman is a pawn. She is a fake. She is only a means for my Handlers to keep me away from Hermione. This fake girlfriend accompanies me everywhere afraid I will slip away to see Hermione. This fake girlfriend smiles at me… for the cameras. This fake girlfriend holds my arm…for the cameras. When there aren't any cameras around, she is jealous and spiteful. She wants to be the real thing in my life. She wants me to stop thinking about Hermione, but I have told her on more than one occasion I would romance her because that is what my contract requires me to do, but it's all an act and she shouldn't think I mean any of it. My heart would only ever belong to Hermione.

It may sound cruel, but these are the choices I was given. Romance this Muggle, maintain my image and leave Hermione alone. So I smile, I laugh and I put my arms around the fake, but I'm living a fake life.

Our Handlers now try to keep Hermione and I as far apart as possible. Even so, the day my people released the story about my new (fake) love I got a heartbreaking phone call from Hermione who was crying so hard she could barely talk. "What is this? Are we over? Have you moved on?"

All I could do was answer her truthfully. "This is what we agreed upon. This nonsense is written into my contract. It is written into your contract as well. I love you, but we cannot be together."

The phone went dead in my hands.

There are time when Hermione and I have duties which call for us to be in the same area at the same event. Hermione will not look at me. If our glances meet, Hermione turns away. We are both dying inside, but our careers are flourishing.

When I am with my friends and family I rage. My family and friends try to console me, but they are also truthful with me throwing the same words at me time after time. _This is what you agreed to Draco way back when you were first starting out. You signed contracts. You made deals. You made promises. This is how it was written down in the books and this is how it has to be._

My family and friends are quite right. I did sign contracts. I did make deals. I did make promises. For the sake of having a career, I did do all those things. I am reaping the rewards, but I am paying the price.

Time moved on. Hermione and I have renegotiated our contracts several times. Our next contract comes up for renewal this year. I have asked my Handlers for two concessions. 1. Allow Hermione and I to be together and 2. Get the fake girlfriend out of my life.

Contract negotiations have come and gone and once more I did not get my concessions. My image and my life remain the same.

There may be hope for Hermione and I yet. There has been news. Over the past few weeks there have been rumblings from the Head Source who has implied she might make changes, updates or additions to the original contract.

The rules originally written to keep good girl Hermione and bad boy Draco apart may be legally revised. If this happens, Hermione and I will not need any contract concessions. We will be free to pursue our relationship openly while the fake girlfriend would be free to return to her life of sex, drugs and rock and roll. Everything would be on point.

Even if the Head Source does make revisions to the original rules, the adjustment won't change everything. Hermione and Draco as a couple still won't be accepted by every fan. We understand that. Regardless, Hermione and I know we have the backing of thousands of our fans and we will chance it.

The Head Source didn't reveal anything relating to the Bad Boy or The Golden Girl so things remained the same for several more weeks. Then Hermione and I sat down and talked. We obviously still loved each other and as we sat there talking I had an idea. I suggested we hire a different set of Handlers who would oversee our careers but let us live our lives as we saw fit. After a long discussion, Hermione agreed we should go ahead and make some changes.

The process of replacing our Managers and Publicists stretched out over six months as we wanted everything to be carried out in a professional manner.

When contracts came up for renegotiation, Hermione and I revealed our intention to sign with a different group of Handlers. My meeting was quite emotional as my current people tried to explain that everything they did was in my best interest and they were sorry I was unhappy. Because I would still be working in the Acting Industry I phrased my words very carefully. I suggested they check how other groups were handling their charges and that I understood why they initially kept Hermione and I apart. I then went on to say the contract they had me sign year after year pertained to a teenager and I hadn't been a teenager in years. I thanked them for our years together and as I left their offices I remarked that had someone been paying attention this change wouldn't be necessary.

Long story short, both Hermione and I hired a firm of brilliant young minds to act as our Handlers. They think it is absolutely wicked that two rising stars want to date each other.

My new team was instrumental in removing the fake girlfriend from my life as well. She was offered several walk-on parts on TV shows along with a small bit in a hit movie which she accepted right off. That was all it had taken for her to _break up _with me. I was chuffed.

Several weeks later, Hermione and I appeared together in public for the first time in years. Things went fine and we received tons of congratulatory messages from fans. In addition, producers and directors alike expressed interest in having us star together in a feature film. To their way of thinking, Hermione and I appearing together in a film could make it a blockbuster.

So there you have it. That's the story of why Hermione and I were separated for those years and how we finally managed to get back together.

So far, Hermione and I have worked together on several projects for which we received great reviews. We have also received a script from a major studio. Hermione and I couldn't be happier.

Keep an eye out for our movie. The tentative title is _**Dramione**_.

_**The end.**_


End file.
